Storage cabinets are frequently used to store many types of items, such as compact discs, digital video disks, videocassette recorder tapes, books, spices, cosmetics, and a variety of other items of all shapes and sizes. Typical storage cabinets have a plurality of vertically spaced shelves encased in a box-shaped structure with an opening on one lateral side. One or more hinged doors are typically arrayed over the opening to provide convenient access to the items when needed, while keeping them from view and protecting them from dirt and dust the rest of the time.
For some types of storage cabinets, it is recognized that high-density storage within an aesthetically pleasing structure is useful for keeping numerous items of interest handy within the home or office. For example, it is considered preferable to have high-density storage for compact discs in a pleasant looking cabinet near a home stereo. It is known for such a structure to include not only shelving within the main box of the structure, but also shelving on the doors. Such a cabinet stores items two rows deep (the first row being in the door), and when opened doubles in width to display all the items.
It is also known to store items in storage cabinets having complex mechanical or electromechanical item retrieval systems. Such cabinets can be expensive to manufacture, and can have reliability issues.
There exists a need for convenient, compact, cost efficient, aesthetically pleasing and dense cabinet design for storing articles. Preferred embodiments of the present invention satisfy these and other needs, and provide further related advantages.